1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a floor sweep auger system for use in circular grain bins which have been previously built, and more particularly to a coupling which permits an unique sweeping motion of a moveable auger to cover substantially the entire floor area in the grain bin.
2. Description of the Prior Art
For many years, granaries of the circulary type, i.e. those with a cylindrical wall, have been built. Some of the existing granaries have wood floors, but most have poured concrete floors. A common manner of unloading these granaries involved the pushing of the intake end of portable grain augers in through a door to thereby draw a major portion of the grain out through the auger. The handling of the auger is difficult and because a substantial amount of the grain cannot be picked up by the auger, this method of unloading involves considerable manual labour in cleaning out the granary, which manual labour is unpleasant because of dusty conditions. Another method involves the use of trucks equipped with suction type tubes which are inserted into the granary, but again, the pick up of the final store of grain in the bin involves the manual manipulation of the pick up tubes within the granary. In granaries which are now being constructed, it is common to build an auger mechanism into the floor for drawing the grain from a central intake in the bin to the outside. A moveable auger can be mounted on the granary floor for travel about a central anchor point for drawing the grain to the central intake. It is extremely expensive, however, to modify existing floors in granaries for this type of in floor system.